Tag Archives: New England Patriots

NFL

Lockhart, Eugene (2) ‘Mean Gene the Hitting Machine’

to89 lockhart ud91 lockhart s&s92 lockhart sco90 lockhartflr90 elockhartto90 elockhart

Cards: Score 1990, Stars & Stripes 1992, Topps 1989, Upper Deck 1990, Fleer 1990, Topps 1990, GameDay 1992.
Acquired: 2012, Canton Acquisition. TTM 2015, C/o Home.
Sent: 12/28/15       Received:  1/9/16      (12 days)
See Also: Eugene Lockhart
Eugene is a solid bet TTM for fans, and since I had quite a few extra cards of his that I wanted to get signed, I thought I’d go ahead and give him a shot with the Fleer, Topps 90, and Gameday cards. The other cards were all part of the Canton Acquisition back in 2012- when a friend decided to sell his collection as he was exiting the hobby. I don’t normally buy signed cards from other collectors but I felt that as part of a package it was worth the purchase. There’s definitely a difference in the signatures, but that loopy ‘E L’ in both groups is there to trust that it is genuine enough. Each of the cards gday92 elockhartare quite unique. The Stars & Stripes were among my least favorite set- capitalizing off of American pride while just looking bad with the garish Photoshop effect on the type.  Each of the entries have very unique photos as the Topps 90, (in which most cards of the Cowboys are straight up portrait style,) has grown on me over the years.

After emerging from prison from a three year stint for being a part of a mortgage fraud scheme, Eugene has been humbled, but rededicated himself in life to the things that matter most.  He’s a family man who loves to cook. He has goals and wants to become a motivational speaker for kids and incarcerated inmates, and join the Dallas Cowboys Alumni Association so that he can meet and greet all his fans. He’s a warm story and I hope that he is able to find the validation and redemption he deserves.

NFL

Armstrong, Bruce (2)

pset92 armstrong pset91 armstrong PCards: ProSet 1991, ProSet 1992
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent: 11/17   Received: 11/24    (7  days)
See Also: Bruce Armstrong

The venerable Bruce Armstrong really nailed down the right/ left tackle positions for New England throughout the late 80s and into the 1990s, so much so that he was nominated for the NFL HoF in 2011, and the Patriot organization retired his number. Armstrong over his storied career played in a franchise high 212 games. Amazingly enough he started as a tight end at Louisville, before switching over to tackle as a Senior- where he allowed zero sacks. Armstrong had it all over his career with the Patriots, combining speed, power, and durability, making him a formidable pass and run blocker.

Merv Corning’s work on the Pro Set Superbowl cards were  not enough, so the company had him come back to create the All Pro subset in 1991. He also chipped in some spot work on ProLine as well. While I was never a fan of ProSet 1992’s break in style between the two series that year, they still had some pretty good photos littering the set and this card with the red pants is a really nice throwback issue the Patriots briefly did.  A solid signer, the venerable Armstrong boasts a 90% response rate (250+ attempts) through 2015.

 

NFL

Gonzalez, Anthony

sco09 agonzalez dor&s09 agonzalez l

Cards: Score 2009, Donruss Rookies & Stars 2009 Longevity
Acquired: TTM 2015, C/o Home
Sent:  12/21    Received:  1/15  (25 days)

Anthony was a 1st round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2007 draft.  With a run on receivers early on, Anthony would be the 6th receiver taken off the board with the 32nd selection.  Gonzalez was thrown right into the starting lineup while injuries were taking their toll on future Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison.  Anthony saw 51 targets in 9 starts, catching 37 passes for 576 yards and 3 touchdowns in a solid debut.  In 2008 Gonzalez saw action in all 16 games, starting 2 and notching career highs in virtually every category with 57 receptions for 664 yards, 4 TDs, and a 58 yard long.  As the Colts were counting on Anthony for the 2009 season, he went down in the season opener against Jacksonville.  The worst part about it was a non contact play. He’d be lost for the entirety of the season with a  PCL injury in the right knee.

In 2010, Anthony suffered a high right ankle sprain in regular season opener vs. Houston and missed the next 5 games. He returned to action in Week 8 vs. the Texans, snagging four catches for 55 yards before suffering a torn PCL in his left knee on a hit by Texans safety Bernard Pollard, ending Anthony’s season.

As the Colts crumbled into chaos with a possible career ending injury to starting quarterback Peyton Manning in 2011, the team struggled mightily in his absence.  Anthony suffered from a myriad of injuries, suited up for 8 games, but made no catches. He’d sign as a free agent after the season with the New England Patriots, but didn’t make the team.

Gonzalez soon thereafter enrolled in the Stanford Graduate School of Business and officially moved on from the NFL.

G/GS 40/12     REC 99     YDS 1307       AVG 13.2     TD 7    LG 58